Crossover Games Bringing New Life to Nassau County Football
For as long as I can remember, there have been complaints about the scheduling of football on Long Island. The same schools play the same schools year after year. No new matchups, no out-of-conference games, and no new excitement.
This is why a dominant team such as Garden City, which currently holds the nation’s leading winning streak, has to annually deal with the “Conference 2 has no competition” murmurs. If you ask me, it takes a very special program to win so many games in a row. But no one asked me, and the people who say, “Who do they have to go through to get there?” have a legitimate argument.
This summer, the Nassau Coaches Association voted and agreed on a solution to all of the aforementioned problems. They did so by introducing Nassau County crossover games, and what a brilliant decision it was!
So, what is a crossover game?
For the first time, Nassau Conference 1 will go head-to-head with Nassau Conference 2 in matchups determined by preseason team rankings. The same will apply to Conferences 3 and 4, respectively.
Why Were Crossover Games a Needed Addition?
Long Island football, unlike the PSAL, is broken into conferences based primarily on school size rather than team ability. Unless a school’s enrollment drastically drops or increases, schools are left playing many of the same teams year after year.
In other words, the scheduling has become stale and leaves dominant teams like the aforementioned Garden City or three-time Class I champion Massapequa looking for new challenges on the gridiron.
Because of the new crossovers, both will get exactly what they asked for: a Week 3 matchup against each other!
Massapequa will play Garden City on Saturday, September 26, at 5 p.m. at James M. Shuart Stadium at Hofstra University. Originally scheduled to be held at Massapequa High School, the venue change was necessary because this is possibly the biggest regular-season matchup ever in Nassau County history.
Massapequa would not have been able to comfortably accommodate the abundance of spectators expected to travel from near and far to attend an event that could be the biggest regular-season game in Long Island history.
And the best part?
It counts for nothing but bragging rights.
That is the type of excitement these crossover games have brought to a county that wants more from its football. Luckily for the players and fans alike, this year, they are going to get it.
Top Crossover Games
Freeport vs. Roosevelt
Two storied Long Island programs that have both been the pinnacle of success in Nassau County will finally meet.
This matchup has always been a “what if,” as Roosevelt has typically been a smaller school while Freeport has been a larger school. But with Roosevelt’s enrollment increases and the newly formatted crossover system, these two neighboring schools will go toe-to-toe for the first time.
This matchup should shut down both towns, as everybody and then some will want to be in attendance.
South Side vs. Seaford
The two small-school juggernauts face off in what will be a fun matchup between the No. 1 seeds of Conferences 3 and 4.
South Side returns arguably the best running back duo in the county with AJ Magaraci and Ethan Johnson. Seaford, fresh off a county championship, is always looking to prove they can play with anybody.
They will be locked and loaded for this matchup, especially after graduating a quarterback/running back tandem that kept opposing coaches up at night.
Look for this one to be a lot of points.
Long Beach vs. Farmingdale
This is not a matchup between completely unfamiliar foes, as Long Beach was in Conference 1 for many years before moving down to Conference 2 in 2022.
What makes this game exciting?
Each team is looking to make a statement early.
Farmingdale graduates a phenomenal 2026 class. They lose standout players all over the field, but they return a signal-caller in Nick Toto who seems ready to lead a young but talented team. The Dalers will look to use this game as a springboard for their season.
Long Beach, on the other hand, returns one of the most exciting players in the county, Brody Reidel. A bulldog Swiss Army knife, Reidel can run through you or pass you!
The team as a whole is looking to show that last year’s county championship game appearance was no fluke. Conference 2 is the best it has been in years, and a win over a Conference 1 power could be the recipe to help Long Beach get through the conference gauntlet.
Oceanside vs. Carey
This is a matchup that isn’t getting the credit it deserves due to the Goliath vs. Goliath game that will be mentioned shortly.
These two programs both have amazing coaching staffs that are brilliant with the clipboards. Carey is led by Coach Stanley, while Oceanside is led by Coach Blount.
Both teams will be prepared from an X’s and O’s standpoint, so this game will come down to which star player can put his team on his back.
Oceanside is led by Chase Morris, the county’s leader in total touchdowns, who is a threat from anywhere on the field with the ball in his hands.
Carey is led by Justin DePietro. The middle linebacker/running back is entering his final year of what will go down as one of the best careers in Long Island football history.
A two-time First Team All-Long Island and All-State selection, DePietro has also won multiple Player of the Year awards. He even won Defensive MVP in the last two Rising Stars Bowls, which is no easy task!
This Carey team will go as far as Justin takes them, and he is up for the task.
Garden City vs. Massapequa
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the granddaddy of them all!
These are not just two of the best football programs in the state, but two of the best overall athletic departments in the state.
A “what if” matchup that has been dreamed about for years has finally been delivered, and county supremacy is what these two special teams will be playing for.
Garden City, winners of 66 straight games, including five Long Island championships, is tired of hearing the nonsense about who they are scheduled to play and welcomes this matchup with open arms.
It makes it a lot easier to do so when you’re led by two of the best overall athletes on the island in Anthony Asaro and Brayden Robertiello.
Both are monster lacrosse commits, with Asaro committed to UNC and Robertiello committed to Penn State, but they will do everything in their power to keep the nation’s longest winning streak alive.
This quarterback/running back duo is must-see TV. There have even been talks of Asaro playing football at UNC after high school.
Up front, Garden City has a two-way budding star in Luke Agrippina. The Rising Stars Bowl participant has gathered multiple Division III offers this offseason.
Massapequa isn’t short on making its own history or on having must-see players.
Last year, the Chiefs became the first Class I school in history to win three straight Long Island championships. They return an electric quarterback in Luke Garguilo, who was First Team All-Long Island last year.
They also return a dominant defensive trio in hard-hitting linebacker Nolan Wieczorek, lineman Jack Mulligan, and hybrid defender Giovanni Tarasi.
All three of these players are game wreckers, and they will be up to the task of stopping Garden City’s dynamic duo.
Both teams also have younger players from last year’s teams who could become major contributors this season. Their success—or lack thereof—could ultimately be the difference between a win and a loss for either program.
A New Era for Nassau Football
When the Nassau Coaches Association decided to introduce crossover games, they made the decision to take a step into uncharted territory—and they did it for the better.
For all the players, fans, and supporters who have always said, “Man, I wish we could see different matchups,” your prayers have been answered.
This one’s for you!